Delivery apparatus for delivering mail, parcels, or the like.



S. H. RUBY. DELIVERY APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING MAIL, PARCELS, OR THELIKE.

urmouron rum) JAN. 9, 190s.

Patented Dec. 1, 1908.

gmvcwtoz qmi/tmeooeo I s. H. ROBY. DELIVERY APPARATUS FOR DELIVERINGMAIL, PARCELS, OR THE LIKE.

' APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9 1908. 905,370.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

attozmuao s'. H. ROBY. DELIVERY-APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING MAIL, PARCELS,OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9,1908; 905,370.

Patented Dec. 1, 1908.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

w 'smvemz /vi lmeoaeo 4 I 6'5 .306

S. H. ROBY. DELIVERING MAIL, PARCELS, OR THE LIKE.

Patented Dec. 1, 1908.

DELIVERY APPARATUS FOR APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9. 190a. 905,370. I

wi lmaooeo ganja- X? v I improvements in delivery ap aratus, and 15,

UNITED STATES PATENT oFF oE.

SHELTON H. ROBY, OF DUBLIN, GEORGIA.

DELIVERY APPARATUS Eon DELIVERING MAIL, PARCELS, on THE LncE.

Specification oi Letter's Patent. Application filed January 9, 1908.Serial No. 409,973.

Patented Dec. 1, 1908.

useful Improvements in Delivery Apparatusfor Delivering Mail, Parcels,or the Like; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact descri tion of the invention, such as will enable 0t ers skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful while it is especially designedor delivering mail along rural routes or in. cities, it may be employedfor delivering, parcels or other articles, as may be desired, theinventionessentially comprising a car adapted totravel on an. energizedwire and having means-whereby it may be set to be switched orside-tracked from the main line at any station along the route.

In the accompanying drawin s,-- Figure 1 is.a view of one of the switc-actuating mechanisms, and one of the mail delivering cars or carriers,the former being about to be actuated by the latter; 2 isa similar viewof the switch mechanisms after having been thrown or actuated to switchthe car; Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the mail car or carrier; Fig. 4is a detail view of the track supportin hanger; Fig. 5is a fragmentaryview of t e rock shaft locking means, the

same being shown in locking position; Fig. 6 is asimilar view, thelocking mechanisms in unlocked position; Fig. 7 is a centrallongitudinal sectional view of Fig. 5; Figs. 8 and 9 are detail viewsillustrating the two positions of a stop constituting a part of the--rock shaft locking means; and Fig. 10 is a detail perspective view of alocking pin employed in connection with the invention.

. In the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the feed 'orsupporting wire, "the same constituting a track for the supportingwheels-2 of the car or the carrier 3 to travel on, said wire beingenergized by a dynamo 4,, or other suitable source of eectrical energy,the circuit between the sitive wire 1' and the dynamo being estabishedby the negative or return wire 5.

In carrying outthe invention, a suitable supporting frame or, structure6 is arranged at each of the stations along the mail route,

this frame or structure essentially compris spaced hangers 9. Inpractice two of said hangers are arranged in close proximity at the rearend of the horizontal support 7 and are provided near their free endswith in Wa'rdly curved vertically spaced fingerslO, the fingers of oneof the hangers supporting adjacent ends of the switch wires 11 andfingers of the other hanger engaging under the main wires 12. One ofsaid hangers 9 is arranged at the front end of the support 7 and is alsobent inwardly at its free or lower end to form inwardly curved fingers13, adapted to engage under the main track wlres.

A horizontally disposed rock shaft 141 is journaled in suitable'bearingsof the supporting frame or structure 6, and is formed at its r ingflantge 15, having a suitable recess 16, out or ormed in its periphery.,The free end of thi rock shaft is also formed with a longitudinalsocket 17, for the rece tion of the rear portion 18 of a longitudina lymovable member 19, the front end 20 of which is cut end with anoutwardly extendconnected with the pivot or lower end of an A locking,plate 22 is formed or fixed to the rear end of the locking member 19,and is provided at its inner face with a rearwardly extending tongue orextension 23, adapted to normally engage with the recess 16 of theflange l5, and with a corresponding recess 24, formed in one face-of oneof the bearings for the rock shaft 14. The front end of said lockingmember 19 is adaptedto slide through the lower ends of suitable supportsor hangers 25, sustained by the su orting frame or structure 6 in anysuita .e manner, a; resilient element,

referably in the form of a coiled spring 26, being arra ed nealr one ofthe hangers, the tendency; 0 said spring being to maintain tion. l

From the construction illustrated and de fined, it will be seen thatshould the free end 'of the actuating lever 21 be swung inwardly .thelocking member 19 in its normal posimove forwardly, which operation willcause the tongue or extension of the locking plate to be disengaged fromthe recesses 16 and 24, when the shaft 14 will be permitted to turn inits bearings. I

In carrying out the invention, sections 27 of the main track wires arecut out and are piyotally connected with the main part of the trackwires at their forward ends, the rear ends of such sections 27 beingnormally held in. contact with the adjacent end of the main part of thetrack wires by a depending supporting member or hanger 28, connectedwitlrthe outer or free end of a lifting arm 29, connected to the rockshaft 14.-

From the construction shown and de scribed, it will be seen that whenthe free end .of the actuating lever 21 isswungrearwardly the lockingmember 19 will be released from locking engagement with the rock shaft14, and the latter permitted to turn in its bearings sufficiently tobring the rear ends of sections 27 adjacent the branch.

wires 11, in which case the car or carrier will be switched from themain line.

A coiled spring 29 is arranged around the rock shaft at a suitable pointto cause the latter to return to its normal position after having beenrocked. by the weight of the passing car or carrier.

The body 30 of the car or carrler is supported from the main orsupporting wheels 2 by suitable hangers 31, the same being representedas connected With the axles 32 of the car or carrier, it being evident,however, that the body 30 may be suspended from the wheels 2 many othersuitable manner.

To cause the carrier or car to travel along the track wire 1, a motor 33is arranged between said wheels 2 in any suitable manner. A positivewire 34 is arranged between the axle of the front wheel and the motor,and a negative or return wire 35 between the motor and axle of aarranged to run on the wire 5, the frame being suitably insulated fromthe car or carrier frame, as is evident.

In carrying out the invention, the car or carrier is provided withsuitable mechanism which may be set to throw the switch at any desiredstation along the mail route. While various arrangements may be employedfor accomplishing this, I will show and describe an arrangement that ispreferably employed.

A setting wheel 37 is mounted above the motor of the car or carrier inany suitable manner, said 'wheel being formed in its periphery with asuitable locking recess 38. A ratchet wheel 39 is arranged at one faceof the setting wheel and is adapted to be engaged by the inner or pivotend 40 of an actuating lever or member 41, the free end of which ispreferably outwardly curved, and is adapted to strike or engage a fingeror extension 42 arranged at each of thestagrooved contact wheel 36, theformer,-

tions along the mail route. 'A locking pin 43 is arranged to have itsinner end bear on the periphery of the setting wheel, and is formed atits opposite end with a laterally extending finger or extension 44, aspring 45 being arranged around the body of said pin to cause it tooperatively engage or bear on the periphery of thesetting wheel.

In the operation of the invention, the setting wheel is caused to turnone notch as the car or carrier passes each of the stations bythe'actuating lever 41 engaging the fingers or extensions 42. Thelockingpin is so arranged that the finger or extension 44 thereofpassesover the free ends of the actuating levers 21 arranged at theseveral stations until the setting wheel has been turned sufliciently topermit the inner end of the pin to engage with the recess 38, which willthen be sufliciently lowered to strike orengage the free .end of theactuating lever 21 at the next station, when the car orcarrier will beswitched in the manner described.

The ratchet wheel is preferably formed with a number of teeth tocorrespond with the several mail stations along the route, and theseveral teeth consecutively numbered as indicated. By this arrangementthe switch actuating mechanism carried by the car or carrier may besetto switch the car at the first, second, third, fourth or other stationalong the route from the starting point. The rear wheel 2 of the car orcarrier is preferably'turned by suitable gearing operated by the motorshaft. In practice, it: will be evident that such parts are insulated,as is necessary to prevent short circuits.

Having described my invention, I claim: 1. In a delivery apparatus ofthe class specified, the combination with a main track comprising twospaced track wires, a branch track also comprisin spaced track wires anda switch formed by pivoted sections of of a car or carrierhavingsupporting wheels to travel on the upper track wire of either ofthe tracks, and a contact wheel to travel on the lower wire of either ofthe tracks, a driving gear for driving one of the supporting wheels, amotor for operatin said gear, means for energizing the trad? wires, andconnections for leading the current to and from the circuit through thecar or carrier.

2. In a delivery apparatus of the class specified,- the combination witha main and a branch track comprising each parallel track wires and aswitch formed by pivoted sections of the main track, of a car or carrieradapted to travel on either of the tracks, switch mechanism adapted tobe operated by the car or carrier to throw the switch, said mechanismcomprising a longitudinally extending rock shaft, locking means forholding the switch in normal position, and switch actuating mechanismsustained by the car or the motor to complete erating means foroperating to throw the car in position to engage the setting wheel, sai2o f i switch, said means comprising a pivoted actuating lever arrangednear the switch, a car or carrier adapted to travel on either of thetracks, andactuating meanssu'pported by the car or carrier for operatingthe switch mechanism, said actuating means comprisin a setting wheelsupported by the car, said wheel being formed with a'peripheral recessand a locking pin supported by the with therecess of pin comprising alaterally extending extension designed to engage the actuating leverwhen the'pin is in enga eme'nt with the recess of thesetting whee 4. Ina delivery apparatus of the class specified, the combination with aswitch sta t1on,!of a main track, a car or carrieradapted' to travelthereon, a setting wheel supported by the car or carrier, a ratchetwheel arranged -at one face of the setting wheel, an

meansto release the rock shaft,

operating lever pivotally supported by the 30 car or carrier in positionto engage the teeth of. the ratchetwheel', arid engaging means at thestation for engaging the operating lever to turn the ratchet wheel onenotch.

5. In a delivery apparatus of the. class 5 specified, the combinationwith a main track, a branch track and a switch formedby piv otedsections of the main track, of switch operating mechanism for throwingthe switch, said mechanism comprising a longitudinnlly extend-in rockshaft, lockin means for-locking t e rock shaft in norma position, apressure spring tending to retain. the locking means in locked relationwith the rock shaft, and a ivoted actuatin lever connected with the,ocking means or the rock shaft, a car or carrier adapted to travel onthe track and switch actuating means sup-, ported'lby the car foroperating the locking In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my handin presence of two subscribing witnesses. v

sHELToN H. ROBY.

Witnesses Z. Wm'rEHUBs'r,

E. S. BALDWIN.

